Visa Requirements

What is a Visa?

Visa is the approval for entering the Republic of Croatia and for a stay of up to 90 days or for transit through the territory of the Republic of Croatia.

Mere possession of a visa does not grant the entry to the Republic of Croatia. Other legal requirements for granting an alien the entry to the Republic of Croatia must also be met.

The visa regime is prescribed by the Croatian Government.

An alien may not work in the territory of the Republic of Croatia on the basis of a visa.

Types of Visas

Travel Visa

Travel visa may be issued for one, two or multiple entries into the Republic of Croatia, for tourist, business, personal or other purposes.

Validity: Up to One Year
Continuous stay or total duration of consecutive stays may not exceed 90 days in the period of 6 months, counting from the date of first entry.

Transit Visa

Transit visa may be issued one, two or exceptionally several transits through the territory of the Republic of Croatia.

Validity: Up to Six Months
On the basis of a transit visa, an alien may stay in the Republic of Croatia for a period of up to 5 days upon each journey. Transit visa may be issued to an alien if he/she has secured entry into the state to which he/she is traveling.

Airport Transit Visa

As a general rule, an alien who shall not leave the international transit area in between flights at a Croatian airport or on international flights shall not require a visa.
By way of derogation from that rule, the Croatian Government may stipulate that nationals of certain countries and holders of travel document issued by authorities of such countries shall require an airport-transit visa.

Validity: This visa is issued for one, two or several transits through the airport international transit area, with validity period of up to 3 months.

Visa In A Common Travel Document

This is a transit visa for a single transit, or a travel visa limited to a maximum of thirty days, which may be issued to a group of between 5 and 50 people, in a common travel document, provided that the members of the group enter the territory of the Republic of Croatia, stay there and leave it as a group.
The leader of the group shall possess an individual passport in which, where necessary, an individual visa is affixed.

Validity: Maximum Thirty Days

Visa Application Procedure

Aliens who are subject to visa requirement are obliged to apply for a visa prior to their entry into the Republic of Croatia, at the responsible Croatian diplomatic mission/consular post.

If there is no Croatian diplomatic mission or consular post in the applicant's country, application for visa may be submitted to the nearest Croatian diplomatic mission/consular post.

As a general rule, an alien shall lodge a visa application personally. Exceptionally, an alien need not lodge the application personally, but he/she shall present him/herself when called upon by the diplomatic mission/consular post.

A visa application for an alien minor or an alien deprived of his/her business capacity shall be submitted by his/her legal representative.

A visa application shall be lodged no sooner than three (3) months prior to the date of the intended trip.

Documents needed to apply for a Visa

valid travel document

the period of validity of the travel document should exceed that of the visa's by three months

colour photo

supporting documents that prove:

the purpose of the journey to the Republic of Croatia,

ensured accommodation,

means of subsistence to cover their stay in the Republic of Croatia and the return to their country of origin or to a third country have been provided,

means of transport and their intention to return to their country of origin or to a third country

Letter of guarantee for an alien:

An alien is on a private visit, invited by a natural person.

An alien coming to the Republic of Croatia for a private visit shall enclose to the visa application the letter of guarantee, as a proof of the purpose of his/her visit, filled out by a guarantor-natural person from Croatia.

Guarantor-natural person may be a Croatian national or an alien with granted residence in Croatia, who receives income or has financial means in the Republic of Croatia.

Guarantor-natural person shall enclose to the letter of guarantee a proof of continuous source of income in the Republic of Croatia during the last three months (certificate of salary, certificate of pension) or a corresponding proof of possessing funds in the bank.

Guarantor's signature on the letter of guarantee shall be certified by a public notary.

If the guarantor is present on the occasion of lodging the visa application, the signature on the letter of guarantee may also be certified.

A letter of guarantee which contains a statement of consent to the seizure and a certified guarantor's signature shall have the effect of a legally effective decision of execution, and it shall be issued in one copy.

The diplomatic mission/consular post with which the alien has lodged his/her visa application for the purpose of a private visit shall keep the original copy of the letter of guarantee in the case file.

The applicant shall be handed out a certified photocopy of the letter of guarantee, so that he/she may present a proof of the purpose of his/her stay in the Republic of Croatia if requested so by a body competent for state border control.

An alien is on a business visit, invited by a legal person.

An alien coming to the Republic of Croatia for a business visit shall enclose to the visa application the letter of guarantee, as a proof of the purpose of his/her visit, filled out by a guarantor-legal person from Croatia.

The content of the letter of guarantee is stipulated by the Ordinance on Visas.

Guarantor-legal person shall enclose to the letter of guarantee a document proving its liquidity.

A letter of guarantee shall be signed by the person authorized to represent the guarantor and certified by an official stamp.

The diplomatic mission/consular post with which the alien has lodged his/her visa application for the purpose of a business visit shall keep the original copy of the letter of guarantee in the case file.

The applicant shall be handed out a certified photocopy of the letter of guarantee, so that he/she may present a proof of the purpose of his/her stay in the Republic of Croatia if requested so by a body competent for state border control.

Following categories of persons are exempted from visa application fees:

Members of immediate family of a Croatian national (spouse and children),

Children under the age of six,

Holders of diplomatic and official passports traveling officially.

Exemptions

Nationals of the following states do not require a visa for entering the Republic of Croatia and for a stay of up to 90 days or for passing through the territory of the Republic of Croatia:

Principality of Andorra, Argentine Republic, Australia, Republic of Austria, Kingdom of Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federative Republic of Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Republic of Bulgaria, Canada, Republic of Chile, Republic of Costa Rica, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Kingdom of Denmark, Republic of Estonia, Republic of Finland, French Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Guatemala, Hellenic Republic, Republic of Honduras, Republic of Hungary, Republic of Iceland, Ireland, State of Israel, Italian Republic, Japan, Republic of Korea, Republic of Latvia, Principality of Liechtenstein, Republic of Lithuania, Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Republic of Malta, United Mexican States, Principality of Monaco, Republic of Nicaragua, Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Panama, Republic of Paraguay, Republic of Poland, Portuguese Republic, Romania, Republic of El Salvador, Republic of San Marino, Republic of Singapore, Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia, Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of Sweden, Swiss Confederation, Republic of Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Eastern Republic of Uruguay, United States of America, Vatican City State, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

The exemption from the visa requirement also applies to the holders of valid travel documents issued in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and in the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

The exemption from the visa requirement also applies to the following holders of valid travel documents of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas Territories Citizens who have the right of abode in the United Kingdom and British Subjects who have the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

Nationals of the following states may enter the Republic of Croatia with a valid identity card or a document confirming their identity and nationality:

European Economic Area (EEA), Principality of Andorra, Principality of Monaco, Republic of San Marino, Vatican City State, Swiss Confederation.

Nationals of the following states require a visa for entering the Republic of Croatia and for a stay of up to 90 days as well as for passing through the territory of the Republic of Croatia:

The visa requirement also applies to holders of travel documents issued in the territory of Taiwan, People's Republic of China.

The visa requirement also applies to holders of travel documents issued in the territory of the Palestinian Authority, the entity not fully recognized as a subject in terms of international law.

The visa requirement also applies to the following holders of valid travel documents of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: British Overseas Territories Citizens who do not have the right of abode in the United Kingdom, British Overseas Citizens, British Protected Persons, and British Subjects who do not have the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

Holders of valid diplomatic and service passports of the following states do not require a visa for entering the Republic of Croatia and for a stay of up to 90 days or for passing through the territory of the Republic of Croatia.

Republic of Albania, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Bolivia, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Cuba, Arab Republic of Egypt, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Kingdom of Morocco, Republic of the Philippines, Russian Federation, Republic of Serbia, Republic of South Africa, Kingdom of Thailand, Republic of Tunisia, Ukraine.

Holders of valid diplomatic passports of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordon do not require a visa for entering the Republic of Croatia and for a stay of up to 90 days or for passing through the territory of the Republic of Croatia.

Nationals of the following states are obliged to obtain an airport-transit visa:

Holders of valid ordinary passports do not require an airport-transit visa if they are in possession of a residence permit issued by one of the following states:

EEA member states, Principality of Andorra, Principality of Monaco, Republic of San Marino, Swiss Confederation, United States of America, Vatican City State.

Please note: The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. Please contact your nearest embassy for accurate, up-to-date information.For more information, Contact Croatian Embassy